Finding happiness in running and sobriety

The amount of time I’ve found in my day has doubled, no tripled, since I stopped drinking. I get so much done now. It might be helpful that I am not working right now, so there is an extra 8 hours each day, and then add to that the 5 hours I would spend drinking at the end of the day, I guess it’s not really very surprising that I have found a lot of extra time to do things that need to be done.

I am having a hard time getting motivated to run though. That’s a little frustrating since I’m signed up for a 10K in just 4 weeks. I can go out and run 4 miles so I’m not worried about being unable to do the race. I know I can, but my pace right now is 12 minute miles and that’s not good. I mean, it’s fine! 12 minute miles is still running! However, my pace used to be closer to 10 minute miles, so I can really see the effects of drinking there. I doubt I’ll be at 10 minute miles by the race day, and that is okay, but I would like to have a little bit better pace by then. I just need to work on the motivation.

Fortunately, it’s starting to cool off here in Phoenix. Today we were feeling the last trickles of hurricane Newton. Yesterday was overcast with sprinkles all day, and today was just overcast and muggy. It made for a rough run. I discovered that I prefer running in 105º and dry to 85º and humidity. Technically, I prefer running in about 75º and slightly overcast with a cool breeze, but that will have to wait. The sweating that happened during and after today’s run was crazy. My eyes were red from sweat dripping into them. I looked like the mornings after day drinking.

With all of this time on my hands, I signed up for a travel writing class at the Phoenix Center for the Arts. I love to travel. Bob (IZ’s nickname that he has finally allowed me to call him) and I are excellent travelers, so I thought this would be a fun thing to do. Learn something new and improve my writing. Believe me, I know how badly I write. This blog is for me to document the sober year I’m living, but it never hurts to learn something new and maybe I’ll love it and get better at it. We all benefit!

Our assignment next week is to write about our hometown or neighborhood. I love our new neighborhood and can’t wait to dig in writing this one. I might post it here if it’s not too horrible. And with that I leave you with today’s random photo.

My new pink flamingos. I can tell already that the one on the left is going to be difficult. Just look at the way she hangs there like she’s about to take a dip in the pool.